Seven Ways To Woo James Potter
by A.E. Seaflame
Summary: Here we go: I, Lily No-Middle-Name Evans, am madly in love with James No-Middle-Name Potter. The problem is, the one year where I can spend quality time with him outside of class is the one year he decides he is completely over me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, James Potter is over me. Not just over me, though. He hates the mere ground I walk upon. What a wonderful year this will be.
1. It Begins

**Hi guys! This is a new fic I thought of. Here's a few things you should know about the fic before I begin:**

**-It's a multi-chapter fic about Jily, starting off in the beginning of their seventh year, in the first week of October. **

**-Any flashbacks, letters, journal entries, thoughts, and note-passing will be in italics. **

**-This entire story will be told from Lily's point of view.**

**-If you've checked out my other multi-chapter fic, The Oxymorons, you'll know that an important rule of the Heads' Tower is that nobody can enter the tower except the professors and the Head Boy and Girl. Howver, this rule was enforced AFTER the Marauders Era, so anyone can enter the Heads' Tower if they know the password.**

**DISCLAIMER: Instead of doing a disclaimer every chapter(because that's boring), I'll do a disclaimer now that counts for the rest of the story. There's also a disclaimer on my page.**

**I, A.E. Seaflame, most definitely do NOT own Harry Potter. JK Rowling is the lucky lady who owns that brilliant series. I only own this storyline, because it came from my head. If I owned Harry Potter, there would be a prequel series about James and Lily, Dramione AND Scorrose would be canon, and there would be a series about the next generation of Potters and Weasleys.**

**Okay. I now present to you: "Seven Ways To Woo James Potter" :D**

* * *

Can I let you in on a HUGE secret, if you promise to keep it?

Ready?

Okay, here we go.

I, Lily No-Middle-Name Evans, am madly in love with James No-Middle-Name Potter. The problem is, the one year where I can spend quality time with him outside of class is the one year he decides he is completely over me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, James Potter is over me. Not just over me, though. He hates the mere ground I walk upon.

What a wonderful year this will be.

"Evans? Do you agree?" The sharp voice belonged to none other than James Potter. His hazel eyes regarded me coolly, and I cursed myself again for spacing out in a prefects meeting.

Dumbly, I asked, "Agree with what?" At this, the prefects snickered, and I felt my cheeks heating up.

James rolled his eyes at me, obviously not amused. He never is. "Well, Evans, if you were listening, you would have known, wouldn't you?" he sneered.

_No shit, Sherlock. That's why I'm asking. _

I felt my face turn completely red and I glared at him. I opened my mouth to retort, but another voice interrupted. Remus.

"Lily, we were discussing the matter of shortening curfew. These times are dangerous and we want everyone to be safe," Remus told me. His light brown eyes were begging, telling me not to start a row with James now. _Not today, _his eyes said.

I shot him a grateful smile and nodded. Without hesitation, I turned to the prefects and told them firmly, "I don't think we should shorten curfew."

The prefects gasped, clearly not expecting that answer. Whispering began, and a pair of curious hazel eyes flitted to me. I ignored it all.

"Shortening curfew won't change the number of students that sneak out. They'll just be more careful in making sure they don't get caught. Shortening curfew won't increase the safety. Hogwarts is already extremely safe, and I believe that a mere two hours of freedom after dinner instead of three hours won't make Hogwarts any safer." I explained.

"But there are Death Eaters-" a fifth year Ravenclaw piped up.

I cut her off. "We do not know who in Hogwarts is a Death Eater. We do know that they strike whenever they want to, and curfew does not limit them."

Immediately, arguing began among the prefects. The whispers broke out into full-on hollers and I slumped down in a brown armchair, my head in my hands. This was exhausting. I couldn't do this. Not today.

"Evans, get your arse up there and settle the riot," a voice demanded. I looked up to see James, who looked extremely pissed. His arms were crossed and he looked like he, too, was having a migraine from all this ruckus.

A year ago, I would have demanded he did it himself. I would stamp my feet, roll my eyes, and cross my arms definatly. I might have even stuck out my tongue at him, and he would obediently listen because he cared about me.

This year, however, the roles were reversed. I would listen to him, I would be the obedient one, because I cared about him.

Wordlessly, I walked to the podium and cast _Sonorus _on myself.

"Alright," my suddenly booming voice said. "Settle down or I will give detentions. Don't think I don't see you back there, Avery. Get your hands off him right now."

Avery backed away, glaring at me. The room became silent as they all looked up at me expectantly.

All my life, this is what I wanted. To be respected, to be looked up to. To be treated as an equal, not like a freak. Not like a mudblood. I wanted to be somewhere I belonged. And this? On this stage? _This _is where I belonged, as Head Girl. A place where I'm a leader, not a mudblood to be pushed around. A place where I can handle myself, and calm a riot.

"I suggest we take a vote," my calm voice said. The _Sonorus _charm was gone; there was no need for it. I conjured enough stones for everyone in the room, including myself and James, as well as two buckets. "The blue bucket represents shortening curfew. The red bucket represents keeping curfew the same. Please drop a stone into whichever bucket you agree with. If there is a tie, we will vote again at the next meeting. That is all. Good evening." I gave them a stiff nod before turning away to grab my books.

I took my stone and dropped it into the red bucket on my way out. I could see the back of Remus's head among the crowd of prefects and yelled, "Remus! Wait up!" For a second, I worried he didn't hear me, but then remembered that he could hear rather sharply because he was a werewolf. I almost ran into Remus in my hurry to catch up with him.

Taking a deep breath and steadying myself, we began to take the long walk to Gryffindor Tower. I had to speak with Alice, too. There was a comfortable silence between us, until I broke it. "Are you alright, Remus?" I asked, glancing at the worn-down face of my friend. He had seemed a bit off today.

He shrugged. "Could be better," he replied nonchalantly. I arched one perfect eyebrow at him, and he lowered his voice as I impulsively leaned closer. "Full moon tomorrow night," he whispered. He let out an exhausted sigh.

I patted his back comfortingly. I knew how much he hated transforming on Sunday nights. He always preferred to start the school week feeling well, not stuck in the hospital wing for rough injuries.

"You'll be fine," I reassured him. _Yeah, because the Marauders are with you, _I thought, but didn't voice it aloud. Nobody knew that I knew their secret, especially them. I shuddered as I remembered how I found out.

* * *

FLASHBACK

_It was the beginning of sixth year, the second week of September. Only half an hour ago, Severus had tried to confront me again, apologizing for what had happened at the end of fifth year. This time, however, he was quite annoying. I remember him blabbing on about he just acted on impulse. Sick and tired of his words, I snapped. "Oh, so you had this sudden impulse to call me 'mudblood'? I doubt it was only what your friends told you that created the impulse. I bet you believe it yourself, don't you, Severus?" _

_Flustered, he had replied, "So what if I do?" Realizing what he had said, he clapped his hands over his mouth in shock. His coal black eyes widened. His words sunk in, and I burst into tears and ran off._

_So here I was. Weeping underneath a small oak tree, not too far away from the Whomping Willow. Rain had begun to pour, and lightning crackled. Clouds covered the sky, and you could barely see the glistening white of the full moon hiding behind the smokey gray storm clouds. I didn't care, though. I was too distraught with his words, too frustrated with everything that Severus has done. My only comfort was my pale white cloak that, despite the heavy rain, remained warm. Well, warming charms have always been my specialty._

_My eyes were suddenly drawn to a queer sight. I gasped as I saw a rat, a dog, and a stag head to the Whomping Willow. What a strange trio. And they weren't even getting thrashed by the willow! How could they do that? Perhaps the Whomping Willow only harms humans?_

_But then I shook my head, remembering Hestia's owl that had gone too close to the Whomping Willow and died a tragic death. I shuddered at the memory of the snowy owl tangled in the branches, a mess of guts and blood. The sight could never be erased from my memory._

_The rat, the dog, and the stag all of a sudden slipped inside the tree. How the hell did they do that? I couldn't help but notice, as the stag paused and looked around before entering the tree, that its movements were quite unnatural. It was almost like a... like a human. Its eyes had depth and intelligence that I was sure no normal animal ever had, and what type of animal checked its surroundings like that? Almost as if it were being watched._

_At this revelation, a chill went up my spine. Goosebumps appeared on my skin, and they grew larger as the stag met my eyes. Its eyes seemed to grow wide and looked shocked... but how was that possible? How could a stag look shocked?_

_By now, my tears were dry on my face. I stared back at the stag, but with curiousity and pure wonder, not defiance. He - or was it a she? - stared back at me, confused and astounded by the sight before him. Well, what is it looking at? I'm just a girl, after all._

_The stag suddenly bounded towards me, very fast and very gracefully. I should be scared, but it was a stag, and stags were normally peaceful, innocent creatures. I held my breath and stood up as the stag stood before me. I regarded its warm hazel eyes, and the way it held itself. Yes, this certainly was a strange stag. The stag's antlers nudged my cloak, and I couldn't help but smile at the playfulness. _

_But my smile turned to utter shock when the stag, quite suddenly, turned into James Potter._

_Well. That was an extreme plot twist._

_"Evans," he gasped. He seemed angry, but extremely concerned. He took his face in my hands, his eyes searching mine. I didn't complain about how close we were. "What are you doing here?"_

_"I could ask the same of you, Potter," I retorted, squirming from his touch. _

_He pulled his hands away from me, looking angry. "It's dangerous out here, especially tonight!" He stopped suddenly, and looked ashamed at his outburst._

_I casually flicked a piece of dirt off my nail before responding. "Again, Potter, I could say the same for you. Especially since you're going to the exact place where you can possibly get killed, or at least bitten, by a werewolf."_

_His eyes widened. "You-you know?" _

_I snapped, "Of course I bloody well know! I'm not an idiot, I've known since third year." I glared at him, slightly offended that he would think I'm so stupid._

_"What else do you know?" he asked carefully._

_"Every full moon, he goes to the Shrieking Shack, and there's a passageway there through the Whomping Willow. Of course, I didn't know until tonight that you're an illegal Animagus, trying to get into that passageway. I like you better when you're a stag, by the way," I told him._

_Usually, he would have smiled at this compliment, but tonight, he was grim. "Evans, you can't tell anyone about this."_

_I rolled my eyes. "I can't exactly say anything if I don't know the whole story." I eyed his fingers that were subtly taking his wand out. "And if you try to Obliviate me, I have a handful of nonverbal hexes just waiting to be used." His fingers released his wand. "Good. Now, sit down and explain."_

_He sighed and grudgingly sat down. The boy was shivering now, without his fur to warm him. I took pity on the boy (after all, I can't let him die of hypothermia before telling the story) and cast a nonverbal warming charm on him. He smiled at me gratefully, before clearing his throat and beginning._

_"We found out about Moony in second year. Throughout our entire second year, we researched ways to help him but he told us there was no point. When third year started, we realized we could become illegal Animagi. The thought hadn't struck us before. Keeping Remus company during the full moons, we realized, would be enough help. It required hard work, yes, but we had this strange determination that we could do it. So for months and months, we worked on it, until we finally achieved our first, perfect transformation at the end of fourth year. Padfoot was a dog, Wormtail was a rat, and I was a stag. Starting in fifth year, we began to keep Remus company. As animals, he couldn't turn us into werewolves, and we helped him from harming himself. In the beginning, he injured us plenty, but his werewolf soon grew accustomed to us." I remembered the countless injuries the Marauders had gotten in fifth year. I realized the names of the Marauders, and how cleverly chosen they were. His explanation made perfect sense._

_Potter paused to take a deep breath. Quietly, he continued, his voice now taking on a serious tone. "You can't tell anyone, Evans. I don't care how illegal it is, we will not stand by while Remus suffers on a monthly basis. His injuries were worse before we came along. If we don't help him every month, who will? He needs the comfort of his friends during his transformation. He needs his friends to stop him from injuring himself. He can't be a lone wolf, we won't let him." His voice was now passionate, and I was surprised at how much he cared._

_"Potter," I replied, just as quietly, "I'm not going to tell."_

_His eyebrows rose up so high, I wondered if they would fall off his head. "Evans, I-I don't know what to say..."_

_"I care about Remus, too. I know he was in terrible shape third and fourth year, and I know that he's improved since then. A thank you would be fine."_

_He grinned from ear to ear, and threw his arms around my neck. I stiffened, even though his embrace was warm and comforting. "Thank you so much, Evans," he whispered in my ear. "I owe you one."_

_I immediately withdrawed. "You certainly do," I told him. "Now, go back to your friends, they need you," I told him, turning away._

_I began the long walk to Gryffindor Tower. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a stag leaping towards the Whomping Willow. At the sight, a soft smile appeared on my face._

_That night, I began to look at James Potter differently. I began to see him as someone who had a heart. Someone who cared enough that they would do something to put them in Azkaban._

_He's a true Gryffindor._

* * *

"Lily?" a voice asked, waving his hand in front of my face. I shook my head, to see Remus Lupin staring at me. He seemed a bit bemused. "Spacing out again?" he asked, somewhat teasingly.

I slapped his hand away playfully. "It's not funny," I told him, but a smile was tugging at the corner of my lips.

"It is, actually. When you space out, you start drooling. You look like Peter, when he sees a pretty girl," Remus said.

I snickered at that, already seeing the image clearly in my mind. I looked up to see the Fat Lady. Apparently I spaced out so long, that we had already reached Gryffindor Tower. Wow.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

I looked at the Gryffindor Tower and a feeling of nostalgia washed over me. I missed this tower. "Yeah, I have to talk to Alice," I told him. He nodded and told the Fat Lady the password("burnt pansies"), and the door swung open.

Before rushing up to my dorm, I turned to Remus. "Meet me tomorrow morning in the Heads' Tower, okay? After breakfast," I said. He seemed a little befuddled, but nonetheless nodded his head.

I went upstairs to my old dorms. Entering my dorms, I found it empty except for Alice Prewett, my best friend.

"Alice! Hey!" I called out. She looked up, and we gave each other a hug.

"Lily, I wasn't expecting you," she said. She noticed the tense look in my eyes that most people would ignore. "Is everything alright?"

I shook my head.

She sighed, already knowing what was up. "It's Potter, isn't it? What did he do?"

I growled. "That's the problem, Alice!" I threw my hands up in the air. "He hasn't done anything. He hasn't asked me out all year, and there's already been one Hogsmeade trip."

Alice arched an eyebrow. As soon as I discovered that I loved James, Alice had known. "What do you want to do about it?"

I began pacing back and forth across the room. "We need to devise a plan, ways to get him to like me," I told her.

"You're trying to woo him?" Alice asked. "And by the sounds of it, Marauder-style."

I blushed, because it was true. I was trying to woo him Marauder-style. "I was thinking of getting Remus to help, because he knows James so well..." I trailed off.

Alice sighed. "Potter is nice enough to me, but I don't like him for the way he's treating you. I'll help you, though. Who else is helping you with this plan?"

I thought carefully. I could ask Hestia and Marlene, but they weren't my close friends and Marlene was a complete gossip. Hestia was trustworthy, but irritatingly obvious when she knew something she shouldn't. Besides Remus and Alice, I didn't trust anyone else to know. I looked up at Alice, brushing my red hair out of my face. "Only you and Remus," I said, flashing her a brilliant smile.

Alice fell to her knees mockingly and held her hands to her heart. "Oh, I'm so honored, Lily!" she squealed, and we burst into laughter. Hestia and Marlene suddenly appeared, and at their confused faces, we giggled even more. I finally calmed down and took a deep breath, trying to hold down the pain in my stomach. Stifling another giggle, I grabbed my schoolbag.

As I left the dorm, I yelled to Alice, "Tomorrow morning, my dorm! I expect you there, missy." With those last words, I raced out of the dorm.

I could hear Marlene complaining loudly about my lack of manners. ("She didn't even acknowledge us!") ("Like we don't exist! How _rude!_) I didn't give a rat's arse at the moment, because I had to go make plans to win a boy's heart.

And it wasn't just any boy's heart. This is James Potter.

Yep, I've got a _lot _of work to do.

* * *

**So how did you like that chapter? This was a bit of an introductory chapter. Sorry if there wasn't a lot of humor in this chapter. There'll be humor in the following chapters, I promise, as we do have the Marauders in this fic.**

**Review this story, let me know what you think! And favorite and follow, because there is more to come.**

**~A.E. Seaflame**


	2. Planning, Healing, and Slags

**Hi, my amazing readers! A huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed. In your reviews, you asked why James hates Lily. I'll explain that in this chapter, with more flashbacks. There's going to be at least ONE flashback per chapter. Also, sorry for my terrible grammar in the previous chapter. I didn't proofread the previous chapter very carefully, so sorry if it threw anyone off.**

**I just want to let you know, regarding my updating, that it's not consistent. I can't promise I'll update every week, because school does come first. However, these next two weeks, my school is closed, so you'll be getting plenty of chapters. I can't promise the same for January, since I have two stories to update: this one, and The Oxymorons(a Scorrose fic).**

* * *

I think I'm the only one in Hogwart who is a morning person. Seriously.

That's what I'm thinking when Remus and Alice burst through the door into the Heads' Common Room. Remus looks, if possible, even more exhausted than he was last night. Alice looks like she's sleepwalking.

"Morning," I greeted them cheerfully, closing The Pearl. It was a novella that I had reread far too many times, but could never get tired of. John Steinbeck truly is a wonder.

They only nodded in greeting and collapsed in the largest armchairs. "Merlin, Lily, you couldn't meet with us in the afternoon? Like a normal person? When people are actually awake?" Alice complained.

"And Sirius forced me out of bed so we could charm the mirrors in the girls' bathrooms," Remus added, yawning.

Alice shot a glare at Remus. "That was you? Of course, why am I surprised? The mirrors were shouting insults to every girl in the bathroom except Hestia. She couldn't stop gloating about it."

Remus shrugged. "Sirius has a soft spot for Jones," he explained. Really? That's a surprise. I didn't think Black had a soft spot for anyone. How cute.

Alice added with a smirk, "And Sara Seamist didn't get any insults." At this, Remus turned pink. "I don't think Black has a soft spot for two girls, right Lily?"

I smirked at Remus, who was covering his face. "I think a certain prefect must have a soft spot for Sara. Who could it be?" I asked mockingly.

Remus cringed and looked up, his face now a deep red. "I fancy her, all right! Now back off." He looked very flustered.

Sara was a nice, shy girl with strawberry-blonde hair and hazel eyes. She would have had all the boys in Hogwarts if she wasn't so shy. Alice and I always talked to her in Herbology, so we were good friends. "You should ask her out," I told him.

He shook his head stubbornly. I sighed, knowing how he refused to be in a relationship because he was a werewolf. "But Remus, she-"

"Okay, can we get back to why Lily invited us here? Not to be rude, Prewett, but there has to be some real reason why Lily invited us here. I don't think it was just to have a nice chat over tea." he interrupted quickly.

I slapped myself inwardly. Of course! I forgot to tell Remus about my plan.

"Alice, fill him in," I told her, casting a quick Muffliato. I glanced around, wondering if James was still in the tower. Sleeping, I hope. If not... I wouldn't want him to walk in on this. Especially since he would probably have a girl in his bed, too. He's had far too many girlfriends, if you ask me.

"...Lily wants your help in this, because you know Potter so well," Alice finished.

I glanced at Remus. He didn't look apprehensive. His face looked like he was already planning ways to help me. "Okay," he said, after a moment of silence. "There are seven ways to do this, one for each year you've known James."

My eyes brightened as I finished it for him. "And each way represents something he's used on me, starting with first year. So our first way would be the best way he's tried to, you know, win my heart, in first year. Our second way would be the best way he used in second year, and so on. It would go all the way up to our seventh way, which would be my own original way of winning him."

Remus looked a bit shocked. "I wasn't going to go that far... but, er, okay."

Alice grinned at me. "You're just using his plans for your plans. Of course, that is _not_ a lazy method."

"Of course not," I told her with a bright smile, and she shook her head sadly.

Remus looked between the two of us, confused. After a moment's silence, he muttered, "Women."

I laughed, but then frowned as I remembered the other thing I wanted to ask Remus. The real reason why he was here. "Alice, you should go catch up with Frank," I told her. "I need to talk to Remus." I paused. "Alone."

Alice waved a goodbye at the two of us before departing, and I waved my wand to strengthen the Muffliato spell.

"Lily? You look troubled."

"Remus," I asked, pacing back and forth, "do you know why I created this plan?"

"Because you love him?" he guessed.

"Not just that. He hates me, and I have to make him stop hating me before I can do anything else."

I looked at Remus, who had stiffened. He avoided my gaze. "Why does he hate me, Remus? You're his closest friend, surely you would know."

"Sit down," he said, and I obediently sat down on the armchair across from him. "Lily, do you remember when he started to hate you?"

"We were writing to each other over the summer, when he suddenly stopped writing in August. He ignored my letters, and I thought that he might be busy or something terrible happened. I didn't think he would hate me. But on the train, when we met as Head Boy and Girl, he was so cruel."

* * *

FLASHBACK

_I didn't know who the Head Boy was, and I was dying to know. I had already written to Remus, but he said it wasn't him. Personally, I think he knew who the Head Boy was, but he didn't want to tell me for some strange reason._

_I almost ran down the train to the prefects' compartment, where the Heads were supposed to meet beforehand. I checked my watch. It was 1 PM, I should be just on time._

_Entering the carriage, I stopped in my tracks. The Head Boy was already there, his back facing me. The back of his head looked surprisingly familiar. Unruly, black hair. A tall, lean back and long legs. Merlin, could it be? The Head Boy turned around. _

_Blimey._

_It was James Potter._

_My eyes widened in shock, but then a wave of relief washed over me. It was James, just James. Nobody else. Not a complete stranger, not someone I can't work with. James Potter, my friend. At least that's what I thought._

_Usually, he would've smiled upon seeing me. But the wave of relief slowly disappeared when he glared at me. It wasn't a mock glare, it was real. I could feel his loathing._

_What?_

_Perhaps he was a very good actor. I pulled on a smile. "James," I said, "I didn't know you were Head Boy!"_

_The anger in his voice was clear. "Maybe you would have known if you actually wrote to me in August."_

_I frowned. "You were the one who ignored my letters!" I retorted._

_His glare, I thought, could burn my eyeballs out. "Stop lying, Evans."_

_Me? Lying? Oh, that son of a-_

_A bunch of prefects burst in, and I realized that the fifteen minutes I had with the Head Boy alone was wasted. The meeting had begun._

_I froze, not knowing what to say. I began to stutter, but James cut me off. "Patrol the corridors in pairs of two, with the prefects from your year and your house. Make sure no one is running, there are no fights, and everyone has changed an hour before we get there."_

_The prefects left, not uttering a single word. Well, that was rude. No hello? No goodbye? I voiced this thought to James, but he rolled his eyes at me. "You're one to be lecturing about rudeness." He pushed past me through the door, but I quickly blocked the entrance._

_"James, I swear, I don't know why you're mad at me, but I'm sorry!" I cried out._

_He regarded me coolly. "It's Potter, not James. James is for my friends." With that, he pushed past me and left me standing there, utterly pissed and confused._

_What the fuck?_

* * *

I continued my story. "After the train, he was always a git. Almost as bad as the Slytherins. It was so sudden. I tried to talk to him, but he ignored me. At one point, I-I thought he was going to call me a mudblood." The tears brimmed to my eyes, but I held them back.

Remus flinched at the word, and looked pitifully at my watery eyes. He handed me a tissue, and I wiped my eyes a little bit. "Explain, Remus," I told him, trying to stop my voice from shaking.

"Well, I know you said he ignored your letters, but he actually never got them. This frustrated him, especially because in August, his father was killed by You-Know-Who himself." I gasped. Killed by the Dark Lord? Oh Merlin. "Yeah, he was very beat up about it. You always cheered him up, but you never visited and he never got your letters, so he got angry. Sirius started feeding him shit about you. He never liked you."

I raised my eyebrows. Black? Seriously? (No pun intended) "What did he say?"

Remus shifted uncomfortably. "Well, you have to see it from his point of view, Lily. His best friend has spent six years chasing after you, and you keep ignoring him. Then, you become his friend and make him deliriously happy, but then ignore him when he needs you most. Sirius told James that you were playing him, using him, and that you were going to break his heart. Not getting your letters did break his heart. James usually ignored Sirius about this, but he was starting to believe it in August. By the end of August, he hated you for wasting six years of his life."

I nearly saw red as I suddenly stood up. "Not a single word of that is true!" I yelled. "Where the fuck is Black? I'm going to hex him so he can never see tomorrow!"

Remus held his hands up. "Lily," he said in his annoying calm voice, "you can't do anything to Sirius. You're not supposed to know any of this. If you do something to Sirius, he'll know that you know, and James will hate you even more for physically harming his best friend."

"Remus, I've been in love with James since the middle of sixth year, but I was a stubborn coward, and was too afraid to admit it. It didn't fully hit me until the beginning of the summer vacation. I think I can do whatever the hell I want."

I began to storm off, but then found myself suddenly frozen. I couldn't turn around, but I saw Remus stand in front of me. "I'm sorry, Lily," he said regrettably. "But you're known to do rash, stupid things, and I'm known to prevent people from doing those rash, stupid things." He waved his wand and levitated me towards the couch, ignoring my terrifying glare. "Don't try to get out of this one, nobody can break this spell but a Marauder." I scowled at him, and lied down on the couch, hating my life.

He walked over to the secret passageway to the kitchen. "Later, Lily," he said, and left.

Agh! I hate life. No. I hate Lupin. Remus Lupin. Who ruined my chance at getting James Potter? Black, of course. Who thinks I wasted his best friend's life? Black, the git. I was actually getting somewhere with James... but nooo, Black has to ruin everything. AGH!

I busied myself on the various ways I could torture Sirius Black. It was comforting.

I didn't have to wait long, though. After half an hour, the object of my musings appeared. I glared at him, but Black chuckled. "Ah, it's Evans! Frozen by a Marauder spell. Now, this is a sight to behold!" You know what else is a sight to behold? Your face. Smashed. Broken nose. Greasy hair. Uglier than Severus Snape. Keep laughing, Black and it will happen.

He must've read my expression very well, because he held his hands up in defense. Do all Marauders do that? "Aww, Lilykins, you can't harm me. Only a Marauder can break the spell, and who says I'll do it? Prongsie won't do it, Wormtail isn't bright enough, and something tells me that Moony was the one who got you there. _I've_ been with Prongs all morning."

He muttered something, and I found I could move my mouth, but the rest of my body was immobilized. "Black, you get me out of this right now! Each minute is another hex I can use on you!"

"Do I hear you threatening a student, Evans?" a cold voice said. My eyes followed the sound to none other than James Potter. He was giving me a smirk worthy of a Slytherin. "I'm afraid I have to take points off for that."

I snapped. "You're going to take points off of your own house? Go ahead. After all, Ravenclaw is only five points behind us."

He glanced at Black, almost nervously, who shook his head. It hit me that James was more cruel when Black was around. Ignoring my statement, James looked at the two of us. "What is going on here?" he demanded.

"Your best friend, Remus, immobilized me. Black found me," I summarized.

James frowned in thought. I did my best not to sigh dreamily. Damn, he was really cute when he was thinking hard. "Why would Moony immobilize you?"

If I could, I would have shifted uncomfortably and then shrugged nonchalantly. "Reasons," I said, vaguely.

He rolled his eyes. "Reasons," he repeated. "Thank you for that perfectly clear answer."

I gave him a cheeky smile. "Anytime, Potter," I said in a falsely sweet voice.  
Translation: It's none of your business, so stop asking and get me out of this DAMN SPELL!

My eyes found Black, who was watching the exchange with a slightly disapproving look. Of course. _Any_ exchange with James that didn't include loathing was obviously wrong.

"Potter, get me out of this," I demanded. My tone grew softer. "Please, James."

He looked like he was going through an infinity of emotions, I mused. His face turned from desperate to angry, from annoyed to exhausted in less than a minute.

Black seemed to see that too, because he was quick to act. He muttered a couple of more words, and I found myself able to move. I reached for my wand, but heard an Expelliarmus and goggled at Black, he was holding my wand.

"Black," I said firmly. "Give it back."

"Promise not to harm me?" he asked.

"Scared?" I taunted.

"I'd like my personal bits on, thank you very much." He winked. "The female population of Hogwarts would murder you if you did that." I shuddered.

"Fine, I won't harm you." He eyed me suspiciously. "This is a Gryffindor's word."

He threw me my wand, and I was quick to catch it. "For now," I muttered, watching the two best friends take the passageway to the kitchens. "I won't harm you for now."

* * *

I was just signing my Transfiguration essay late at night when James had opened the door. I eyed him, but remembered that it was a full moon. Last year, since I knew his secret, it was our own little secret, like a private joke. This year, he seemed determined to ignore me. He slipped on his invisibility cloak, not even realizing I was right there, watching him. I swear, though, he gave me a tiny nod before putting on his cloak. Or maybe it's just the dreams of an obsessed lover.

I felt a bit sad, remembering the fun we had last year, being part of the secret. He never told any of the Marauders about it, and I'm glad.

* * *

FLASHBACK

_I was in the common room, doing some late night studying for the O.W.L.S when James appeared. Ever since I found out his secret, we became friends, calling each other by the first name, and so on. He must have been walking around in his invisibility cloak because he suddenly appeared next to me. _

_"Facing Moony's wrath tonight," he whispered in my ear. I felt the butterflies in my stomach flap quite irritably. "Wish me luck?"_

_I laughed softly, knowing that Remus was impossibly stressed about the O.W.L.S. Poor James. A stressed werewolf... he would be in complete rage mode. "Do werewolves like chocolate?" I replied, knowing that Remus always calmed down with some chocolate._

_"I don't know, honestly," he whispered back. "I'll try it tonight." He grinned at me. "Lily, you're the best!"_

_He threw on his invisibility cloak and I covered my face, trying to hide my pink cheeks. Usually, any compliment he gave me would have made me roll my eyes, but this year I just had to fancy James Potter._

_I groaned. He's so smooth, so easy with compliments. Me? Insults is what I can do. It's the best way to cover up your feelings, especially when they're extremely strong._

_He has a girlfriend, I remind myself. Hmph. Marlene McKinnon was no girlfriend, she was a gossipy slag. Hearing her talk endlessly about James every single night... it was terrible! If I weren't so afraid to let my feelings show, I would have bitch-slapped her by now._

_Gryffindor courage, I tell myself. Yeah, don't be a coward, blah-bity blah blah. When it comes to your love life, everything changes. Sacrifice? Courage? I can do that in the heat of a battle. But courage to go to James Potter and snog him senseless? How about... NO._

* * *

I was shaken out of my dreams about James Potter when James himself had walked through the door. No, more like... stumbled. I gasped and stood up. James was bleeding, quite heavily, barely conscious.

"Potter," I whispered in shock. Did Remus do all this? I reached out to help him, but he pulled away.

"Goway, Evanss," he mumbled. He was slurring, a clear sign of losing consciousness. I tried to help him again, but he stood up on two wobbly legs and crawled to the staircases. Before he reached the first step, he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Stubborn Potters. Would it be so bad to ask for help?

I levitated him to the couch, trying not to cringe at the blood he was dripping. I would take him to Madam Pomfrey, but he would get into serious trouble if she saw him so injured. With a cleaning spell, I wiped away the blood and hovered over James.

There were three gashes covering his chest where blood was pouring out. His head also had a cut on it, but the blood was dry. He was sweating, and his shin had two broken bones.

Tenderly, I cut off the clothing covering his injuries. After a few healing spells, the blood had thinned, but it was still flowing. Ripping off my cardigan, I cut it into shreds and covered the blood, hoping it would hold it long enough for me to get some healing materials.

I turned around and started towards the stairs when I saw that the cardigan shreds were already soaked with blood.

Merlin.

I was no healer, but I knew my plants and potions. Hopefully that would be enough. I decided to not waste time and summoned a couple of healing potions, herbs and ointments.

I began with a wound-cleaning potion, pouring a small amount over his wound. The blood was clean now, and I sighed in relief. One down, many more more to go.

"_Brackium Emendo_," I said, pointing at his shin, and the bones began to heal itself. I finished it off with a "_Ferula"_, so that the bones were bandaged.

Now, on to the blood. "_Tergeo_." The dried blood on his head was removed. I thought of a spell Severus had taught me. It was a counter curse to _Sectumsempra_, but maybe it would work on this. Tracing the wounds on his chest where the blood was flowing, I nearly yelled, "_Vulnera Sanentur_!" Someone once told me that if you yell something louder, the spell would be stronger. Seeing as the blood disappeared but a large scar was left, I guess that was just bullcock.

Something told me the scar would stay there forever.

I shook my head, wanting to do more magic, but I couldn't. I cleaned the blood again, checked to make sure he was unconscious, and sat down on the floor next to him.

Something told me that Potter wouldn't be happy to see me, even though I just fixed his wounds.

* * *

Naturally, I was right. I awoke to Potter trying to sit up, glaring at me.

Geez, these glares. They get boring after a while, don't you think so?

"Don't bother," I advised him. "You're in no condition to get up."

I checked his temperature, placing my hand on his forehead. He was burning up. If he wasn't fighting back right now, he must be feeling terrible.

Great. A fever. Maybe a Cooling Draught could help, but I didn't have any on me.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Like shit," he muttered.

I laughed a little. "I figured. You were worse last night."

"What d'you mean?"

"Left shin broken, three wounds on your chest, scar on your head, blood pouring out," I listed, ticking off my fingers.

He chuckled. "You should be a healer," he said. Was that a compliment? Well then, first one I've gotten all year from him.

I shrugged it off. Knowing that he hates me, it was probably nothing. "You have a fever, as of now." He only nodded. "How did you get so injured?"

He laughed dryly, with a tinge of bitterness. "Moony was very pissed last night. He kept attacking Padfoot and me, then hit Wormtail for trying to defend us. I haven't the faintest idea why."

I gasped. I might have a little idea of why Remus was angry. _Please, please,_ I thought, _don't make it because of me. If James was injured because of me... I could never forgive myself._

"What time is it?" James asked.

"Roughly 9:00," I replied.

"Don't you have class?"

"I told McGonagall that you had the stomach flu and I was taking care of you as your fellow Head. She came to check on you while you were sleeping."

"She wasn't suspicious?"

"No, she trusts me."

"I never thought I'd see the day Lily Evans skipped class."

My cheeks flushed. "I'm not skipping class! McGonagall knows!" I insisted.

He rolled his eyes. There was a comfortable silence where I wondered whether or not I was skipping class. I hope not. The silence was broken again with his voice. "Hey," he said, his voice softer. Our eyes met, and he looked actually sincere. "Thanks for staying behind and healing me."

"Anytime," I mumbled. "It's what Heads do." God, Lily, why are you so stupid? Just declare your undying love for him, stop using Heads as an excuse. I had the sudden urge to bang my head against the door. Repeatedly. Maybe until I could see stars.

I wonder, is this how James felt all those years I rejected him? So stupid, embarrassed, weak, afraid... wait, of course not. It's James Potter, and he's bloody determined.

We were looking at each other very intently. I leaned forward when-

"Jamesie! I was so worried!" a girl's voice said shrilly. I pulled back, knowing the voice. James's latest girlfriend. Tulip Brown. Ugh. WHY does he keep dating slags?

I turned around to see a short girl with dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, and all-too-tight clothing. Her skirt was far above the knees, and the first four buttons of her blouse were unbuttoned, showing plenty of cleavage.

Like I said before. Slag.

"And that, Potter," I said, "is my cue to go. You can't snog anyone in your state, and I suggest you don't sit up unless you want to feel an enormous amount of pain." I secured the washcloth on his head. "I'll check back in two hours, and don't you dare move a centimeter." I hurried upstairs to my dorm, feeling like utter crap.

Now, that's just sad. Me, Lily Evans? Jealous of a slag? Oh, do stop judging. You can't blame me. I mean, sure she's high pitched and sounds like Moaning Myrtle when she cries(she's not even in my dorm, but I can hear her cries from down the hall) and Merlin knows she could do with buttoning her shirt(honey, save the cleavage for the bedroom), but she has James Potter wrapped around her finger(although I would never do that, we would be equals in our relationship) and I can't even get him to spend a day without shooting a glare at me(if glares were guns, I would be dead). Okay, that was a long thought, but EVERY SINGLE WORD was true!

_You could do without taking a leaf out of her book, _an annoying, shrill voice told me. Sounded a bit like my mother's.

Don't you dare tell me _I_ could do without taking a leaf out of Brown's book. _She_ could do with taking a leaf out of_ my_ book(now that I think about it, why would leaves be in books?). _I'm_ stating facts about Brown with proof, and common knowledge of everyone in Hogwarts. _She's_ still jealous of me because _I_ share a tower with Potter and _she_ doesn't. Well, _maybe_ you would've gotten to share a tower with him, Ms. Everyone-Must-See-My-Victoria's-Secret-Bra, _if_ you had the brains and the maturity, but sadly you _don't_. Frankly, I don't think you _ever_ will. I think you should stop putting shrinking charms on your clothing to show off your figure, stop putting on excessive amounts of makeup, and instead spend the time studying and finding ANOTHER boyfriend(because James Potter? Yeah, he's one hundred percent MINE).

Whew. I had to get that out of my system. I feel much better now. Well, for the most part. I think I just heard Brown give James a surprisingly loud kiss.

Ugh.

* * *

**So, what did you think? Captivating? Terrible? Gory? Depressing? Hilarious? Tell me all about in your reviews.**

**Quick note: all of the spells used in this chapter were completely real.**

**Tulip Brown is my original character, but I've decided she's the aunt of Lavender Brown that never got married. **

**And... that's it! Make sure to review, favorite, and follow for more! **

**Coming Next:**

**The first way to woo James Potter!**


	3. First Way: Operation Hallelujah-Flowers

**Hi. Sorry, sorry, SORRY for taking so long to update! I did warn you, but as a way of apologizing I hope to post two chapters this weekend. **

**This chapter is Lily trying out her first way to woo James. And, just to remind you guys in case you forgot in the month it took me to update, here's what happened last time:**

**Lily knows that James is an Animagus who helps Remus during the full moon. On early Monday morning, James appears wounded because Remus's werewolf was very angry. Lily takes care of him and skips classes on Monday to heal him. At the end of the chapter, James's girlfriend, Tulip Brown appears. **

**Thank you guys so much for reviewing! Two chapter, and already twelve reviews! That's amazing. Okay, enough babbling from me, let the chapter begin:**

* * *

_After the Brown-Bitch(the nickname Alice and I created for the lovely Tulip Brown) left, I walked downstairs to find James moaning in pain, lipstick on his neck and all over his face. _

_"Hey, Lily," he said, his voice soft as I kneeled down next to him, redid the healing spells, and made sure to Scourgify his neck and face a good ten times. "I just want to say sorry for being a bastard and that I was hoping to make you jealous by dating other people and I've been in love with you all along." With that, he pulled me forward and snogged me till we were breathless._

* * *

"Miss Evans! Do stop daydreaming and work on your Cyber Charms! I want to see that fellytone working by the time this class is over!" Professor Flitwick's stern stone brought me back to reality.

Oh, how I wish I could tell you that James declared his love to me and snogged me after I finished healing him. I wish I could say that it was him, not Remus, sitting next to me, and that now he's my boyfriend.

Ha. It's only my dreams that never come true.

I glanced at Remus's telephone, which was already lighting up. Damn him and his perfect Charms. I usually did amazing in Charms, but this was a difficult spell, and my head just wasn't in the game today.

Sighing, I pointed my wand at my telephone and focused all my concentration on the object. "_Muggle Animato,_" I said loudly, and the goddamn thing finally beeped.

"I'm going to try the first way today," I muttered to Remus, casting a quick _Muffliato _just to be safe.

"Which is?" he asked. I inwardly slapped myself. I told Alice about my seven ways, but Remus didn't know any of them. Huh. Guess I'll just tell Remus as I go through them so he doesn't have time to disapprove.

"Anonymous. Flowers. First year." Those four words lit something in his eyes called recognition.

"Oh," he said, as realization dawned on him. "What I like about you."

"Sorry?" I asked. Um, Remus, I don't feel that way.

"The song," he said, a bit impatiently. "What I Like About You by The Romantics." The bell rings and we get up. I remove the charm, but as I walk towards the door, Remus pulls me back. "Snowdon lily. Now go."

I have to say, James has pretty good taste. The Romantics? Snowdon lily? Wow.

* * *

If someone told me two years ago that James Potter hates me, but I'm madly in love with him and I'm trying to win his heart back, and that I would be spying on him all night long, I would've told them to shove their head down a toilet. Actually, seventh year Sybill Trelawney did tell me that in my fifth year, the exact same thing but with more cryptic words. Naturally, I assumed she was crazy. But she turned out right. Huh. Maybe she does have Seer blood.

Anyways, I told Remus to sneak a spyglass into James's room so I could see my plan and pray it would work. It was literally a rip-off of what he did to me in first year.

* * *

FLASHBACK

_"Lily!" shrieked Marlene and Hestia. I rubbed my eyes and glanced outside. The sun had just rose. What did Marlene and Hestia want in this ungodly hour?_

_It was my first year at Hogwarts, and I had immediately befriended my dorm mates. Alice Prewett was shy and nice, and we instantly clicked. Marlene and Hestia were friendly enough, but they gossiped quite a lot and I often lost my sanity because of it. With a second glance at the calendar, it clicked: it was Valentine's Day, and Marlene and Hestia probably wanted help fixing their hair and trying to impress some boys._

_I sniffed the air as a familiar scent wafted towards me. It was similar to honey, and I breathed in the scent I've loved forever. Burnt orchids, in my mother's garden. The smell was strong and I had fallen so in love with it that my mother showed me how to make a perfume from it. Now, with magic, I was able to slip it into my shampoo and soap._

_I opened the curtains and gasped. Surrounding me were bunches of burnt orchids circling my bed and climbing up my wall. It was beautiful. But the strangest part was that there was a sound coming from the burnt orchids, a singing._

_I Want to Hold Your Hand by The Beatles. It was a classic, and my grandma always played it before she died when I was seven years old. I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the smell and beautiful lyrics the flowers were blasting. The moment was ruined by Marlene's shriek._

_"Lily! Look, you've got a secret admirer!" she practically yelled, pointing to a note under my pillow that I hadn't noticed before._

_It was cool to the touch and the parchment was fresh. I slowly took it out of the pillow and opened it._

_Lily,_

_Roses are red,_

_Violets are blue_

_Happy Valentine's Day_

_I want to hold your hand too._

_There was no signature, and I sighed at how cute this whole scenario was. But then I frowned, wondering who would send me this? Do I really have a secret admirer? _

_I took a burnt orchid, and tucked it in my hair, and then with a wave of my wand, the orchids piled up on my bed. It was a useful spell that I had forced all my dorm mates to learn so we wouldn't have a mess on the floor. I placed the note on top of the orchids and closed my curtains with a locking spell so that nosy Hestia wouldn't look through it. The orchid had lowered its volume so that I was the only who could hear the song, the lyrics being poured into my ear beautifully._

_It was perhaps one of the best days of my life, until I went downstairs, humming, and came face-to-face with James Potter._

_"Like the flowers, Evans?" he asked, smirking._

_Oh god._

* * *

Remembering what happened in first year, I smiled. My first year self had loved it, but was disgusted by the thought that James Potter was her secret admirer. My first year self hated James, and now that the roles are switched, I'm betting that he'll react the same way if he finds out who his secret admirer is. So I won't say a single word.

It was 6 AM, and I had been up the entire night. The things you do for love.

Finally, I could see James shifting as he sat up on his bed. My face heated when I realized he was only in his boxers, but I tried not to get too distracted.

I waved my wand and the snowdon lilies, his favorite flower, began to sing his favorite song, What I Like About You by The Romantics.

James looked around and I could see him drinking in the scene. The snowdon lilies painted the floor of his entire room, only leaving a tiny path to the bathroom and to the door. It stayed on the ceiling and walls, and he seemed to sigh in content. He paused to listen, and then grinned.

I didn't know what to expect of him, but I certainly didn't expect him to start_ singing. _

_"What I like about you_

_You hold me tight_

_Tell me I'm the only one_

_Wanna come over tonight, yeah." _He sang. His voice was deep and raspy, with a sultry edge. I loved it.

He looked thoughtful as he carefully placed the lilies on his desk. He was muttering and I could only catch a few phrases. "First year... tried it on Lily... told a bird... can't be her... secret admirer..."

He then noticed the note underneath his pillow, and his eyebrows furrowed as he read it aloud.

_James,_

_Roses are red,_

_Violets are blue_

_It's not Valentine's Day,_

_But I still love you._

His eyes widened, and his voice grew louder. "I wrote nearly the exact same thing to her! Merlin, she must have showed it her dorm mate... not Prewett, she's in love with Longbottom... Jones is all for Padfoot... McKinnon? We broke up last year, but..."

I wanted to scream out, "It's me, you idiot! LILY EVANS IS IN LOVE WITH YOU!" I couldn't, so I resorted to biting my nails in anger. Marlene? He thought Marlene was his secret admirer? She doesn't even have half a brain to write a simple "Roses are red" poem.

Okay, I know I should control this jealousy problem, but I can't help but be slightly jealous of Marlene. I mean, James and her are great friends, and they were even better as a couple! She's amazing at Quidditch, gets decent grades, and has the beauty to make up for being the gossip queen. Why does James always choose the pretty, popular girls? _So _stereotypical. But I guess I'm not really worth it. I'm a bookworm and a prude. I'm bossy, ugly, and can't sing shit. Merlin, I need these plans to work otherwise I'll never win his heart.

I turned back to the spyglass to see him storing the note in a secret drawer.

Remus walked in right then, before abruptly stepping back into the door. "Woah," he said, a tone of surprise in his voice that sounded very real. Kudos to Remus for brilliant acting.

James turns around from the desk, realizing there were still lilies on the walls and ceiling. "Moony, I've got a secret admirer! She-"

"-or he-"

"-It's a _she, _Moony- sent me my favorite flowers singing my favorite love song. Just like I did with Lily! I 'spect it's Marlene, mate, you know she still flirts with me and Lily obviously told her about it and she decided to use the idea for herself because it has to be one of Lily's dormmates since they were there when it happened and obviously it's not Lily herself because she ignored me in August so obviously she hates me again and-"

"Woah, Prongs. Calm down for a bit, will you? Serious run-on sentence right there."

James rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll sum it up in a few phrases. Operation Hallelujah-Flowers, first year. Used on me, this morning. Marlene McKinnon, possible secret admirer."

Remus groaned. "Godric, Prongs! It's either run on-sentences or fragments with you."

He peeked a glance at the mirror, where the spyglass was, and winked at me when James turned his back.

"Moony, what do I do? I have a girlfriend-"

"-you mean a whore-" he muttered, but James ignored him.

"-But she's still my mate and I can't just tell her to back off."

Remus, who suddenly looked very irritated, stood up suddenly. He began to give his advice in a bored, clipped tone. "Drop a few hints by talking about your girlfriend more than usual. Try setting her up with a guy, but don't let her find out. Don't assume it's McKinnon until you get a second gift." He refused to look at James as he walked out the door and slammed it shut.

James frowned at the door. "What's up with him?" he muttered, waving his wand to take off the Sticking Charm I used on the walls and ceiling. He used the same spell I used in first year, and the flowers gathered on top of his desk. He entered the bathroom, and I tapped the spyglass, which immediately vanished.

It was Saturday morning, 7 AM, and I was long due for a nap. I sighed and fell into bed, trying to analyze his and Remus's reaction.

* * *

The dark brown and rich red foliage covered the dry grass. The breeze whisked past our table, and the tree's branches swayed back and forth. Autumn was in the air. We were sitting at one of the picnic tables underneath a tree. The tables were for the summer, so we were the only ones in the picnic area.

"I don't get why he was so pissed, Alice. He just slammed the door and left," I said, finishing off my report of what happened that morning.

Alice took another bite of her corned beef sandwich before speaking. "I think he's frustrated that Potter doesn't even realize the truth. I would be frustrated, too, if I were him. And..." she suddenly stopped herself.

"What?" I pressed.

"Well, he's fancied you for a while. I think he got over you in sixth year," she explained.

My mouth dropped open. Remus Lupin fancied Lily is not a sentence I would ever expect to hear. We were just friends, and we'll always be just that. I felt guilty a bit, because he's helping the girl he used to fancy date his best friend. "How do you know?" I asked hesitantly, not quite sure if I wanted to hear the answer.

"He didn't tell me, if that's what you're thinking. He didn't tell anyone, Lils, because he felt like he was betraying James by fancying you. Apparently, you seemed to lead him on in fifth year-" I cringed. I did do that, a bit. "-but then he realized he couldn't fancy you, ever, so he gave up on you. And I know all of this only because I heard him and Black talking about it in the middle of fifth year. And it was very obvious, maybe not to you, but I could see it."

I was speechless. I didn't know what to say, or what to do. "But don't overthink this, Lily. He's still your friend and will always be. He never did anything because he fancied you, he did it because he cared about you as a _friend." _She could not put more emphasis on the "friend".

Alice stood up and patted my shoulder comfortingly. "Don't make things awkward between you two, Lily. You're definitely going to need him for the rest of your plans. I personally think we'll have to go through all seven ways before he's even close to liking you."

"Well, that's positive," I mumbled, secretly glad the subject was changed. I didn't think I could handle talking about Remus liking me more than a friend for another second.

Alice laughed, the sound foreign in the silent landscape. "I'm a realist, Lily. And good thing I am, only Rowena knows where you'd be without me."

"'Course she knows, she's bloody brilliant, that woman," I muttered, and at that another tinkling sound entered the air, lasting longer than last time.

I gave a soft smile, too. Alice's laughs were contagious. I frowned as another of Sybill Trelawney's prophecies came to me, from fourth year.

* * *

FLASHBACK

_"The dearest of your friends_

_Her mind shall perish like the rest_

_But her body will remain with infant_

_Until it is oppressed._

_The chosen one shan't know of her_

_Tilll he finds her in the wing of the west" _Her eyes glowing, her words rasping. Then quite suddenly, Sybill Trelawney shook her head roughly. "I've a headache, I shall go now," she mutters, hurrying down another corridor.

* * *

If Trelawney's prophecy about me loving James was true, could this one in fourth year be true too? I had only heard these two prophecies, but they unnerved me enough. The dearest of my friends... the prophecy says she's a girl... could it be Alice? And what is oppressed? What wing of the west? I shook my head roughly. Prophecies screwed with your head, they were part of Divination, an imprecise branch of magic.

"Lily? You seem dazed," said Alice. She gathered the food into our picnic basket, and held out her arm. "Come on, let's take this to Hagrid's. He wanted me to put some color-changing charms on the pumpkin patch for the Halloween feast." I smiled at her. She was young, innocent, pure, strong. How could she ever be harmed?

* * *

**That ending saddened me. I'll explain the prophecy now:**

**Alice is the dearest of Lily's friends. When her mind perishes, it means she has lost her sanity. However, "like the rest" means that her mind, in a way, dies, like the rest of Lily's friends and the Order of Phoenix. Her body, however, remains, so she isn't physically dead. She is pregnant, until she gives birth. Then, she is oppressed, which in this case, means she is receiving physical harm. This is discussing the Cruciatus Curse. The chosen one is about Harry, who won't know about her until he finds her in "the wing of the west." The wing of the west is just a fancy way of saying the west wing in St. Mungo's.**

**Sorry this chapter is short, but I just had to put up a chapter and I wasn't sure what else to write. Did you guys like Lily's first way? And what do you think should be Lily's second way? Give me some suggestions in the reviews below, I already have an idea, but I'd love to hear yours.**

**3 (or should I say 4?),**

**A.E. Seaflame**


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